Monday, September 26, 2016

Thyroid Awareness Campaign. Unmasking Your Thyroid.

Three weeks ago, there was a call for bloggers to attend this event to promote its awareness. I tried to recall family members who were affected by this disease. What I know about this disease is that it affects your physical appearance in the neck area.

(Dr. Raymond Tapang, Medical Director of Merck for opening remarks)

Last September 21, 2015, "Unmasking Your Thyroid" A Bloggers' event was held at Yakan function room of Holiday Inn Hotel Makati. It was a women conference. This advocacy was part of Merck's to promote awareness of Thyroid disorders.

It may surprised you that millions of Filipinos have of Thyroid disorders or disease. Awareness of this disease is quite low. Most Filipinos tend to ignore the symptoms of thyroid disorders or worst mistake them as other diseases. What is Thyroid?The Thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland that sits low on the front of the neck. It lies below the Adam's apple, along the front of the windpipe. (Source: WebMD)

(Speaker: Dr. Nemencio Nicodemus, Jr., President of the Philippine Society of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, as well as a Professor in the UP College of Medicine and the Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health)

All of the people have Adams' apple. In medical, they call it thyroid cartilage. It just so happen that men have more prominent thyroid.

Thyroid Hormone Plays a Major Role in Growth and Development

1. Thyroid hormone initiates or sustains differentiation and growth.2. Essential for childhood growth3. Thyroid hormones are essential for neural development and maturation and function of the CNS.4. Decreased thyroid hormone concentrations may lead to alterations in cognitive function.5. Normal thyroid hormone function is important for reproductive function."You will not be intelligent human beings if your mother was lacking in thyroid hormones during the time that she was pregnant with you. Otherwise, we all have been... perhaps, a little have lower IQ. This highlight the importance of T4 and T3 in the development of central nervous system also known as our brain". said Dr. Nicodemus Jr.- It is also important in alertness. Without the T4 and T3 we won't have enough energy and reproductive function. - Weight, heart rate and temperature are also regulated by the thyroid hormones. How Much Iodine Everyday?2 medium pieces of crab1/2 cup of shell kuhol1/2 cup of shelled of hipon2 1/4 pieces of pusit.Fortunate for us we don't really need to regularly eat these because there is iodized salt. What is the normal thyroid gland?Weight: 15 to 25 gramsLength: 4 to 6 cm (each lobe) left and right. Thickness: 1.3 to 1.8 cm. Must not be that thick. Isthmus: 4 to 5 mmGoiter is any enlargement of the thyroid gland for any reason. Thyroid gland is a normal structure in your neck but a goiter is not.

Did you know that a goiter has been a several subject paintings in the past even in the renaissance period? Therefore it has been existing then.

Classification of Goiters

Approaches In Thyroid Palpation.

3 Things: Talk. Examine. Order test.

1. Do you have a swelling in your neck?

2. Is it found in ultrasound or your xray?

3. Local Compression or nahihirapan lumunok?

4. Pain. When you touch it?

5. Signs and symptoms: Getting thin and sweating a lot. or getting fat and slow movement.

5. Thyroid history in Family?

Hypothyroidism - or too little thyroid hormone tend to have slower metabolism.
Hyperthyroidism - or too much thyroid hormone have hyperactive metabolism. They lose weight despite having good appetite.

1987 survey 3.5 Filipino adults have goiters. In 1993 increased in 6.7%. In 2008, was 8.9%. So, 8 out every a hundred have a goiter.

There was a Q&A portion of course for further clarifications. Dr. Chrysanthus Herrera, Medical Science and Government Affairs Manager of Merck.

Have yourself check! Go to http://www.thyroid.phMerck is the world's oldest pharmaceutical and chemical company with headquarters in Darmstadt, Germany. Merck is a leading science and technology company that works to further develop technologies that improve and enhance life - from bio-pharmaceutical therapies to treat cancer or multiple sclerosis, cutting-edge systems for scientific research and production, to liquid crystals for smartphones and LCD televisions.